Plastic greenery strips for decorative purposes

ABSTRACT

A series of molded plastic greenery sprigs, each having an orificed cylindrical base, are strung upon a flexible longitudinally extending element. The latter is polygonal in cross section and the orifice of each cylindrical base is of a similar cross section but sufficiently greater in its inside dimension to permit the element to be passed therethrough in a mating fit. In one form, the flexible element may be a plastic jacketed wire. In assembling the sprig onto the longitudinally extending element, its angular orientation relative to the axis of the element and to other sprigs slipped onto the same element may be varied. The polygonal configuration of the element prevents any rotation of the sprig base after it is assembled onto the element.

United States Patent Chin [ Feb. 22, 1972 [54] PLASTIC GREENERY STRIPS FOR DECORATIVE PURPOSES [72] Inventor: Wesley S. C. Chin, PO. Box 8412 Crenshaw Station, bos Angeles, Calif. 90008 [22] Filed: July 27, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 58,219

[52] US. Cl ..16l/25, 161/30 [51] Int. Cl ..A4Ig 1/00 [58] Fieldofiseal'ch ..l6l/l9,2l,23,25,27,30

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,984,036 5/1961 Adler, Jr. ..l61/21 X 3,318,755 5/1967 Gardner ..l6l/25 3,130,109 4/1964 Harveyeta1 ..l61l25 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 55,055 4/1935 Norway ..l6l/22 Primary Examiner lhilip Dier Attorney-Smyth, Roston and Pavitt [57] ABSTRACT A series of molded plastic greenery sprigs, each having an onficed cylindrical base, are strung upon a flexible longitudinally extending element. The latter is polygonal in cross section and the orifice of each cylindrical base is of a similar cross section but sufiiciently greater in its inside dimension to permit the element to be passed therethrough in a mating fit. In one form,

- the flexible element may be a plastic jacketed wire. In assembling the sprig onto the longitudinally extending element, its angular orientation relative to the axis of the element and to other sprigs slipped onto the same element may be varied. The polygonal configuration of the element prevents any rotation of the sprig base after it is assembled onto the element.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to the manufacture and assembly of plastic greenery for decorative purposes, and particularly involves a novel construction of flexible vines and strips of greenery, such as simulated parsley, which vines may be bent to decorate corners and edges of displays of meats, fruits, vegetables and other items.

2. Description of the Prior Art Vinelike plastic greenery strips have been made and utilized for a number of years. Usually these have taken the form of a molded sprig extending from an orificed cylindrical or other type of base which is threaded upon some type of covered wire of generally cylindrical cross section. These strips have customarily been rented to grocery stores and markets. After a certain period of use, the strips are returned to, or picked up by, the lessor and put through some type of cleaning process, such as tumbling them in a steam or hot water vessel.

It has been found, however, that particularly as a result of such a cleaning process or other rough handling of the prior art greenery strips, the cylindrical bases rotate about the wire in such a manner as to dispose the strips in any angular orientation of the 360 around the wire. In order to make the strips reuseable after such cleaning or other rough handling, it is necessary for a person carefully to rotate each of the cylinders to the position where the sprig is disposed at the desired angle with respectto the axis of the wire. However, even after sprig stem is properly oriented, there has been nothing to prevent it from moving around the axis to some other orientation, except by the restraint effected by diametrically extending tail stems which have been provided and simulate stems of such greenery as parsley. Providing such tail stems, however, requires additional plastic material in the molding of the sprigs which, therefore, increases the cost of the greenery. In some instances these tail stems may actually detract from the aesthetic appearance of the greenery vine.

While it has been desirable to have the sprigs permanently disposed in desired orientations with respect to the wire and other sprigs threaded onto such wire, this objective has not heretofore been accomplished by prior art vinelike strips.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention obviates the problems inherent in the use of the prior art strips by providing a jacketing for the wire or by molding any other flexible element to be employed in lieu of a wire, with a polygonal cross section, and molding the orifice in the cylindrical or other type of sprig base with a cross section matingly to receive to cross section of such jacketed wire or other flexible element.

Thus, when the sprig base is initially oriented with respect to the axis of the wire or element and slipped onto the latter, it cannot thereafter be rotated with respect to the axis. Although diametrically extending stem extensions may be provided, if desired, they may be eliminated since they will no longer be required to anchor the sprig in a predetermined orientation.

In addition, depending upon the number of sides of the polygon chosen for the wire jacket and mating orifice, the sprig may be set in a number of different angular orientations with respect to the wire axis. By properly distributing the sprigs about the wire, the cylindrical or other sprig bases may be concealed largely from the eye of a person viewing the vine or assembly, thereby improving its overall appearance. Alternatively, a sprig base may be provided with a plurality of radiating stems to facilitate assembly and to better cover the flexible element.

A vine thus constructed in accordance with the present invention may be seen to offer a number of advantages .over prior art plastic vine assemblies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view partly exploded showing how a vine assembly according to the present invention may be constructed.

FIG. 2 is a partial section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2a and 2b are possible variations of the cross-sectional configurations of the wire and orifice shown in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, it may be seen that the present invention contemplates the use of a wire or other flexible element 10 which is provided with a jacket 12 molded about it. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this jacket 12 is square in cross section.

The molded plastic sprigs are each formed of a cylindrical or other-type base 14, a stem 16 radiating therefrom, and a plurality of leaved branches l8. Optionally a diametrically extending stem 16a may be provided if desired. As best shown in FIG. 2, the cylindrical base 14 is orificed at 20 about its axis 22 to a square cross section 24 of dimensions just slightly greater than those of the square cross section of the jacket 12. Thereby the orifice 20 may receive in a close but sliding fit, the jacketed wire 10 and 12.

As shown by the dotted lines in FIGS. 2, 2a and 2b, the sprig stem 16 may be oriented in such number of angular positions with respect to the wire and orifice coaxis 22 as equals the number of sides of the polygon chosen for the cross section of the wire jacket 12 and orifice 20.

In use, each cylindrical base 14 is simply slipped over the jacketed wire 12 in a preselected orientation and moved down the wire until it abuts either the end of the wire 10 or the next sprig base previously threaded onto the wire. By so assembling the sprigs, they may cover the jacketed wire 10, 12 and bases 14 with the leaves and thereby maximize the aesthetic appearance of the assembly.

It will, of course, be appreciated that at the end of the longitudinally extending element 10, stop means 26 must be provided in order to prevent the cylindrical bases 14 from sliding off the element 10 after the sprigs are properly mounted. The other end must then be turned or provided with some other stop means (not shown) after all sprigs are mounted to prevent them from coming back off the longitudinal element 10.

I claim:

1. An artificial greenery strip assembly, said assembly comprising:

A. A flexible longitudinal element, said element having a polygonal cross section of predetermined dimensions;

B. A plurality of molded plastic greenery sprigs, each of said sprigs including an orificed solid base, at least one stem radiating from the axis of the orifice in said base, and a plurality of branches extending from each said stem and bearing a plurality of members, the orifice in said base being of a cross section identical in configuration to the cross section of the said element but of just sufficiently greater inside dimensions to permit said element to be passed through said orifice, all of said sprigs being disposed on said element by threading their respective bases onto said element; and

C. Means to prevent said sprig bases from sliding off the ends of said element.

2. The assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the base-is in the form of a cylinder and the orifice in the base is coaxial with the cylinder.

3. The assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the cross sections of the base orifice and element are squares.

4. The assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the sprigs are staggered about the coaxis of the orifice and flexible element, each adjacent sprig stem being disposed relative to the next sprig at an angle determined by dividing 360 by the number of sides in the polygon chosen for the cross section of said element.

5. The assembly as described in claim I, at least one stem radiating from each orificed solid base in a plane substantially transverse to the axis of the orifice in said base. 

1. An artificial greenery strip assembly, said assembly comprising: A. A flexible longitudinal element, said element having a polygonal cross section of predetermined dimensions; B. A plurality of molded plastic greenery sprigs, each of said sprigs including an orificed solid base, at least one stem radiating from the axis of the orifice in said base, and a plurality of branches extending from each said stem and bearing a plurality of members, tHe orifice in said base being of a cross section identical in configuration to the cross section of the said element but of just sufficiently greater inside dimensions to permit said element to be passed through said orifice, all of said sprigs being disposed on said element by threading their respective bases onto said element; and C. Means to prevent said sprig bases from sliding off the ends of said element.
 2. The assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the base is in the form of a cylinder and the orifice in the base is coaxial with the cylinder.
 3. The assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the cross sections of the base orifice and element are squares.
 4. The assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the sprigs are staggered about the coaxis of the orifice and flexible element, each adjacent sprig stem being disposed relative to the next sprig at an angle determined by dividing 360* by the number of sides in the polygon chosen for the cross section of said element.
 5. The assembly as described in claim 1, at least one stem radiating from each orificed solid base in a plane substantially transverse to the axis of the orifice in said base. 